internet service provider

An internet service provider (abbr. ISP, also called Internet access provider or IAP) is a business or organization that offers users access to the Internet and related services. In the past, most ISP's were run by the phone company. The List: The Definitive Internet Services Buyer's Guide. Now ISP's can be started by just about anyone. They provide services such as Internet transit, domain name registration and hosting, dial-up or DSL access, leased line access and colocation.

Internet hosting services run servers, provide managed hosting, and include the Internet connection.

ISP connection options

Generally, an ISP charges a monthly access fee to the consumer. The consumer then has access to the Internet, although the speed at which this data is transferred varies widely. Find An ISP.

Internet connection speed can generally be divided into two categories: dialup and broadband. Dialup connections require the use of a phone line, and usually have connections of 56 kbit/s or less. Broadband connections can be either ISDN, Broadband wireless access, Cable modem, DSL, Fiber Optics, Satellite or Ethernet. Broadband is always on (except ISDN that is a circuit switching technology), and varies in speed between 64 Kb and 20 Mb per second or more.